1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a management server having a function of confirming status information of devices, a method of confirming status information of devices, and a device and system capable of providing status information. More particularly, the present general inventive concept relates to a management server having a function of confirming status information of devices belonging to different categories using a workform written in an extensible Markup Language (XML) format, a method of confirming status information of devices, and a device and system capable of providing status information.
2. Description of the Related Art
A network printing system is a system in which a plurality of user terminals share image forming devices, such as a plurality of printers, facsimiles, scanners, copiers, or multifunction peripherals, through an interoffice or home network. A management server manages the image forming devices. The management server confirms and manages a status of each of the image forming devices through a network based on information transmitted from each of the image forming devices.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a sequence of confirming a status of an image forming device 20 using a conventional management server 10. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional management server 10 and the image forming device 20 communicate data with each other using a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) communication method. If the image forming device 20 is turned on to perform its internal operation, the image forming device 20 generates a status information request list of the image forming device 20 and provides the status information request list to a network interface card (NIC) 20a in operation S1. The NIC 20a stores the status information request list in a memory (not illustrated).
The status information request list includes a plurality of items to confirm a current status of the image forming device 20. For example, the status information request list may include a model name, a serial number, a product version, provided functions, a current resolution, a paper direction, etc. Each of the items of the status information request list is formed as a Management Information Base (MIB) file used in an SNMP network management system.
In operation S2, a manager, who desires to confirm status information of the image forming device 20, is connected to the NIC 20a through the management server 10 to request a transmission of the status information request list. In operation S3, the NIC 20a transmits the stored status information request list to the management server 10.
The management server 10 confirms the transmitted status information request list to confirm the status information of the image forming device 20 and provides status information confirmed through a web page, a graphic user interface, or other communication link to the manager. Thus, a manager confirms the status information of the image forming device 20, i.e., a specification, a performance, a function, or other information of the image forming device 20.
However, in a method for providing a sequence of confirming the status of the image forming device 20 using the conventional management server 10, whenever a new function or specification is added to the image forming device 20, the manager generates an MIB file corresponding to the added function or specification and stores the generated MIB file in the image forming device 20 and the management server 10. In addition, the manager must revise a firmware and an application program of the image forming device 20 and a firmware of the NIC 20a which are related to the added function or specification.
Whenever operation of the image forming device 20 starts, the NIC 20a must include a memory to store the status information request list provided from the image forming device 20. Thus, the method is inefficient in terms of cost of the NIC 20a and an application of the memory.